Emmanuel Ndaba, the survivor of the car crash that left 15 people dead in Tshwane, could only think of his children as he saw a speeding truck ramming into their bus.
Ndaba is among 32 bus passengers who survived the horrific crash when a truck collided with their bus on the M17 Hornsek Road in Ga-Rankuwa on Friday. The driver of the truck allegedly lost control of it.
“There was mist everywhere. Our bus was on its normal speed. The truck hit the bus so hard that it dragged it to the side of the road where it overturned. Everything happened so fast. People were screaming, asking the bus driver to stop the bus. It was beyond his control as the truck had already arrived,” recalled Ndaba.
“It was by God’s grace and mercy that I’m still alive. I am really sadden by the passing of the other passengers who could not make it out alive.
“My entire body is in pain, I cannot do anything for myself. It is going to take me months to recover fully.”
He said that his left foot has a major injury that may require pins.
Transport minister Fikile Mbalula visited the accident scene on Sunday before visiting the survivors at Dr George Mukhari Hospital. He said that the conditions of patients varied.
“There are those who are intensive care and others who are recovering and being attended to for surgery.”
He said 32 of the crash victims were being treated at the hospital while others have been transferred to other hospitals.
He also said both drivers died.
“We are going to release the accident report by Friday and we are here with the Road Accident Fund as part of the agencies to assist all the families in terms of the social relief interventions by government,” said Mbalula.
The Kgwele family in Ga-Rankuwa were still reeling from their loss on Sunday. Family member Suzan Kgwele died in the accident while on her way to work.
“She was a bread winner. It is very difficult to accept what has happened but we put out trust in God,” said her sister Thabiso.
“God’s will has prevailed. There is nothing left we can do but to move on.”
Kgomotso Moema, 47, is survived by her 19-year-old daughter and younger sister.
“We are devastated as a family. My aunt was my mother because my mom passed on log time ago,” said family spokesperson Mmabatho Motsepe, adding that she came to visit her last Friday.
“Little did I know that it was my last time with her,” said Motsepe.
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